Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Diddy’s Twin Daughters Step Into Fashion Spotlight With '12TWINTY1'

D’Lila and Jessie Combs announced their debut fashion line, “12TWINTY1,” just days after their father Sean “Diddy” Combs was denied bail on federal charges.

D’Lila and Jessie Combs have officially stepped out of their father’s shadow — and into the spotlight as fashion entrepreneurs.

The 18-year-old twin daughters of Sean “Diddy” Combs and the late Kim Porter announced this week they’re launching their first clothing brand, “12TWINTY1,” a project they say has been in the works their entire lives.

“We are launching our very own clothing line,” the twins said in a recently posted TikTok video. “This isn’t just a brand. It’s our story. Our bond. Our roots.”


Named after their shared birthday — December 21 — the brand blends numerology with personal identity. “One is bold, fearless, and marks the beginning of something powerful,” they said in the caption. “Two speaks to love, connection, and harmony — the essence of our twinhood.”

Their official Instagram account echoed the message: “12TWINTY1 was created with purpose, built from who we are, not just what we wear.”

While no pieces from the line have been revealed yet, the twins emphasized that the project is about more than aesthetics. “This brand is for everyone,” D’Lila said in another clip. “It’s comfort, confidence, and meaning.”

Jessie added, “People always ask if we think alike — and the answer is definitely. That connection is the heart of our brand.”

Their announcement comes at a complicated time for the Combs family. Just days earlier, their father, Sean “Diddy” Combs, was denied bail after a federal jury acquitted him of several top charges — including racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking — but found him guilty on two counts of transporting women across state lines for the purpose of prostitution. He now awaits sentencing on October 3, with federal prosecutors recommending a prison term of up to 63 months.

Throughout the trial, D’Lila and Jessie were seen supporting their father in court, sometimes exiting the room during emotionally charged testimony. They also recently celebrated their high school graduation — a personal milestone largely overshadowed by their father’s legal saga and the surrounding media scrutiny.

Now, with “12TWINTY1,” they appear to be carving out their own narrative — one rooted in legacy, but reaching for something all their own.

Monday, July 7, 2025

From Compton to the Classroom: Temple Adds Kendrick Lamar to Curriculum

Kendrick Lamar's life and lyrics will be the subject of a new fall semester course at Temple University, taught by Professor Timothy Welbeck. 
Kendrick Lamar’s legacy is already cemented in music history. Now, it's making its way into the college classroom.

Starting this fall, Temple University will offer a course titled "Kendrick Lamar and the Morale of M.A.A.D City," an Afrocentric deep dive into the Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper’s life, lyrics and cultural weight. Designed and taught by professor Timothy Welbeck, a respected scholar in Africology and African American Studies, the course aims to unpack the socioeconomic, political and personal factors that have shaped Lamar — and the world that shaped him.

“This isn’t just about rap lyrics,” Welbeck told NBC10 in a recent interview. “Kendrick Lamar is one of the defining voices of his generation. His art and life reflect the Black experience in deeply telling ways.”


Welbeck, who also serves as director of Temple’s Center for Anti-Racism and is a hip-hop artist himself, has previously taught courses on Tupac, Jay-Z and the evolution of Black culture through music. With this new offering, he hopes to explore Lamar’s full trajectory — from his Compton roots to the Grammy stage and global influence — through an Africological lens that centers Black expression and self-actualization.

The course arrives at a critical cultural moment. Lamar’s recent lyrical feud with Drake reignited debates over authenticity in hip-hop, while his explosive anthem "Not Like Us" — a searing takedown of celebrity ego and false alliances — has become a cultural flashpoint, sparking industry lawsuits and think pieces alike. At the same time, his co-headlining Grand National Tour with SZA was one of the year’s highest-grossing, cementing his status as both icon and provocateur.

Students in Welbeck’s class will study that tension head-on. From Lamar’s major-label debut "good kid, m.A.A.d city" to the densely layered "To Pimp a Butterfly" and his latest effort "GNX," the course promises a sharp examination of hip-hop as not just music, but social commentary — shaped by public policy, systemic inequality and Black resilience.

Beyond lectures, the course will include guest speakers from the music industry who have worked with Lamar, offering students rare insight into both his creative process and the business machinery behind the music.

Rapper Young Noble, Member of Tupac’s Outlawz, Dead at 47

MogkilluminatiCC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Young Noble, the last artist personally added to Tupac Shakur’s iconic group Outlawz, has died by suicide. He was 47.

Born Rufus Lee Cooper III, Noble was found dead Friday morning, July 4, at his home in Atlanta. The news was confirmed by longtime friend and fellow Outlawz member E.D.I. Mean, who shared the update on Instagram with a heartfelt plea: “Mental illness is a real battle being fought by so many. CHECK ON YOUR FOLKS!”

Noble’s death was also verified by a representative speaking to PEOPLE. No additional details were released by his family.

A fixture in one of hip-hop’s most influential crews, Noble carried a direct line to Tupac Shakur’s vision. He joined Outlawz in early 1996, just months before Shakur was gunned down in Las Vegas. At only 18, Noble made his debut on Shakur’s posthumous classic “The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory,” appearing on standout tracks like “Hail Mary,” “Bomb First (My Second Reply)” and “Just Like Daddy.”

Over the decades, Noble became a torchbearer for the Outlawz legacy, both through music and community engagement. He recorded four solo albums — "Noble Justice," "Son of God," "Powerful," and "3rd Eye View" — and co-founded Noble Justice Productions, an independent outlet through which he released his work.

He also outlived nearly all of his Outlawz bandmates. Yaki Kadafi was killed in 1996, Hussein Fatal died in a car crash in 2015, and Napoleon left the music business entirely. Noble remained active, both on record and on social media, where he posted an uplifting message just days before his death: “You're not reading this by accident. This is your confirmation. You're going to make it. No matter what it looks like right now.”

Noble’s life was marked by struggle from the start. Born in Rancho Cucamonga, California, in 1978, he was raised under difficult circumstances. His mother battled addiction, and he never knew his father. He relocated to New Jersey as a teenager and eventually met Kadafi, Tupac’s godbrother, who helped introduce him to the rest of the Outlawz.

In 2021, Noble survived a serious heart attack. But in 2024, tragedy struck again: his mother, Ellen Ferr, was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer and died later that summer. Friends say her death deeply affected him.

The outpouring of grief from the hip-hop community was immediate. Snoop Dogg — who was labelmates with Shakur and the Outlawz during their time at Death Row Records— posted the tribute song “The Good Die Young” on Instagram, writing simply: “DAMN. Mental health is real.”

In announcing the news, E.D.I. Mean asked for privacy while hinting at the unspoken toll fame and legacy can sometimes take: “Today I got some of the worst and unexpected news imaginable. My brother and partner for over 30 years took his life this morning. Rest in Power, Rufus Young Noble Cooper.”

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